JOHNSONS NEW Handy Manual PLUMBING ARD MECHANICAL A PRACTICAL BOOK PRACTICAL MEN PRENTISS VISE CO., HARDWARE BUILDING, 106-110 Lafayette St., Cor. Walker St., Manufacturers of all kinds of Vises. We refer by permission to the General Office This Is the Seventh Revised Edition of JOHNSON'S NEW HANDY MANUAL I am offering you thirty-five years of actual experience as a mechanic in the different branches of the pipe trade. Mechanical refrigerating is the cream of the pipe trade. Johnson's New Handy Manual has been doubled in index and size, still pocket size for convenient reference. Johnson's New Handy Manual has no substitute. It is the best ever published. Address, Johnson's New Handy Manual with price, $1.00, and five cents for mailing purposes. If you are a progressive mechanic and want good ideas, get busy and send for this revised edition. SAINT CLOUD. MINNESOTA LENGTH HYPOTENUSE -17221⁄2° Kolar's Scale is to assist the mechanic in angle measurement when degree fittings are used. It is absolutely necessary that the Patents Pending. mechanic must be good, fast and accurate at his calculations when degree fittings are used. Kolar's Scale is the invention of a practical man. With the Scale you can get your working points at a glance. It gives you the length, width and hypotenuse measurement, center to center of fittings. The Scale can be used for soil pipe as well as screw pipe, and is made for the fittings most frequently used. You can take measurements from one inch to any length. The body of the Scale is of heavy turned brass and the face is of a special composition made specially for the Scale. It being circular and graduated on both sides, makes it possible to give the largest range of measurements in the most compact form, about 2 and 7-16ths inches over all. It is well made and will last a lifetime. It can be carried in the vest pocket very easily. To appreciate, it must be seen. Each Scale comes packed in a neat leather case with directions for using same. PORTLAND Price $1.00 MONEY BACK IF NOT SATISFACTORY KOLAR MANUFACTURING CO. OREGON Entered as Second Class Matter at the Postoffice at Chicago, Illinois, under act of March 3, 1879. Vol. XIX. No. 1. CHICAGO, JANUARY, 1914. Subscription_Price. $1.00 Per Year. Work of the Department of Labor. It is now nearly a year since the Departto be overshadowed by business interests. ment of Labor was established and the tenth seat in the President's cabinet created. Labor interests had grown so great that recognition of the need of the new department was universal outside of the N. A. M., especially because in the old department of Commerce and Labor, the labor end of it came It will be recalled that when President Wilson appointed William B. Wilson of Pennsylvania first secretary of the new department, the secretary being a union man, Emery of the N. A. M. predicted that within a year the new department "would smell to heaven." Mr. Emery was wrong, as always. The new Department of Labor has a huge and vitally important work to perform in the administration of the government. Louis F. Post, the assistant secretary, gives interesting information on this subject in a contribution to The Public. Mr. Post says that not only was a distinct department of labor necessary, but there was the supplementary necessity of confining its scope to the interests of wage workers-this class of laborers being the only class whose individual labor interests are practically unmixed with other and hostile individual interests. There was, therefore, right reason and good economic and political sense in limiting the scope of the Department of Labor to the interests of wage workers. The organic act of the department defines its scope in these particular terms: "The purpose of the Department of Labor shall be to foster, to promote, and develop the welfare of the wage earners of the United States, to improve their working conditions, and to advance their opportuni ties for profitable employment." Here is a field broad enough for the solution of the labor problem fundamentally, as well as the amelioration of industrial conditions incidentally. That trade unions will be sympathetically considered by the department is to be expected. They ought to be considered with sympathy and co-operated with cordially. for they are the organized expression of wage-earning workers. Absurd indeed would be the notion that a department of the government which is designed to foster, promote and develop the welfare of wage workers should, in performing its functions, ignore or otherwise snub representative organizations of wage workers. But the greatest work of the department will doubtless be in the execution of its authority to advance opportunities for profitable emplovment. Not by finding opportunities for individual wage workers at the expense of other individual wage workersas by the distribution, for instance, of laborers in support of strike-breaking or to press down wages where wages may have shown an upward tendency-but by so multiplying opportunities for profitable employment (whether self-employment through co-operation or individually, or employment by employers, or otherwise) as to make wage workers always scarce instead of a drug on the industrial market. As Thomas Carlisle might have said: "Authority to advance opportunities for profitable employment means much." It may mean as much as the will and the power of the federal government, not indeed to solve the labor problem for wage workers, but to put wage workers in the way of solving it for themselves. Stinging Rebuke Administered National Association of Manufacturers. Washington, Dec. 13.-The House lobby investigation committee has made its report to the House. This report deals with the activities of the representatives of the National Association of Manufacturers and its allied associations and the legislative representatives of the American Federation of Labor. The findings of the committee severely condemn the methods and practices employed by the National Association of Manufacturers. On the other hand, the American Federation of Labor is given the credit for having conducted its campaigns for remedial legislation with openness, frankness and honesty. The summary of the report upon the American Federation of Labor and the National Association of Manufacturers is not only edifying, but is peculiarly gratifying to the American Federation of Labor. These summaries are as follows: AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR It is a matter of common knowledge that Mr. Gompers in his capacity of president of the A. F. of L. took a most keen interest in this legislation, as great, if not greater, than in any other matter which has arisen. He states that from his office he directed the legislative committee of the A. F. of L. to go to the capitol and render such assistance as they possibly could in having the Hughes amendment retained, and undoubtedly this committee obeyed instructions. This committee consisted of Messrs. Holder, Hamilton and Moffit. There seems to have been about all of the efforts of the A. F. of L. relative to legislative matters entire frankness and full publicity. Insofar as the record discloses there have been no secret methods connected with the work of its representatives in this regard. As will hereinafter be pointed out, it has vigorously opposed for election candidates for office whose views and votes on public questions have been in opposition to its policies, but in its case, as in that of the other organizations referred to, your committee has no method of divining the extent, if any, to which Representatives have been influenced against their better judgments by fear of its political power. That the organization is actively and earnestly engaged in political and legislative effort and has been for many years is well known, but your committee has found nothing from the evidence taken before it to indicate it has done or attempted to do in these matters aught that is illegitimate or that is not within the rights and privileges of citizens of these United States. We do not find that its lobby has improperly effected or prevented legislation under the rule laid down. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MAN- We feel constrained to say that there is a limit beyond which men should not in decency go, even in argument and we entertain the gravest doubt as to the propriety of the acts of Muhall and Emery relative to this matter, and we hope that future Congresses may be trusted to legislate without the particular kind of aid rendered in the particular manner that those gentlemen then gave. We think it is offensive and outrageous that these associations should have their paid hirelings about this capitol buttonholing members of Congress, striving to induce them to remain away from the chamber when a vote was being taken. We think they went beyond the limits of legitimate effort and that they deserve the severest censure as well as a pointed invitation and suggestion that they completely reform their methods or else remain away in the future. We have striven to make clear our opinion as to the right of persons and organizations to argue and appeal to Representatives and Senators. We would not place one of these upon an unapproachable pedestal and bid the world regard him with awe and silence. That is not the true theory of representative government; but the Congressman himself is entitled, and what is vastly more important, the public whom he represents is entitled to have him act free from the annoyances and efforts such as clearly were incident to these activities of Mulhall and Emery, whose conduct met the unreserved approval and enthusiastic acclamation of the officials of their respective organizations. American Federation of Labor Convention. The thirty-third annual convention of the American Federation of Labor convened at the Hippodrome, Seattle, Washington. November 10th, 1913, and adjourned sine die at 6:30 p. m. Saturday, November 22nd, 1913. The convention was called to order at 10 a. m. by President Gompers, President T. H. Bolton of the Seattle Labor Council in the chair. The convention was addressed by the Hon. Ernest Lister, Governor of the State of Washington, who made a most interesting address. Governor Lister is a member of the International Iron Moulders' Union of North America and as may be imagined was well qualified to address a gathering of trade unionists. The Hon. George F. Cotterell, Mayor of Seattle, also addressed the convention, and your delegates are unanimous in the declaration that Mayor Cotterell delivered one of the very best opening addresses that the delegates to a convention of the American Federation of Labor had ever been privileged to listen to. In passing it is pleasing to note that Mayor Cotterell is the brother of Frank Cotterell, a member of our Local Union No. 32. President Marsh of the Washington State Federation of Labor also addressed the convention and his address, ably presented, was one of the pleasing features. President Gompers spoke in reply and made such reply as he only is capable of presenting. His remarks were greeted with pronounced and prolonged applause, and the President of the American Federation of Labor surely must have appreciated that the Seattle convention was quite as generous in its evidences of appreciation as has been any other convention over which he has presided. In referring to those who addressed this convention, we must not omit reference to the splendid address delivered on Wednesday morning of the first week by the Hon. William B. Wilson, Secretary of Labor, who came as a friend among friends and who was given a reception that could have left no room for doubt in his mind as to his welcome. Your delegates were favored by appointment on important committees, Brother Kearney being a member of the Committee on Executive Council's Report; Brother Anderson, Committee on Adjustment; Brother Rau, Committee on Building Trades, while General President Alpine was Chairman of the Committee on State Organizations. Your delegates introduced a resolution, known as Resolution No. 63, preferring charges against the International Association of Machinists, through its local unions as variously located, for performing pipe fitting in buildings, navy yards and railroad shops, as specified in the jurisdiction of the United Association. Several hearings were held before the Committee on Adjustment, to whom this matter had been referred, and your delegates believe that the committee, after hearing the evidence in the case, had no doubt as to the validity of our position, basing this belief on the report as submitted by the committee, which is is follows: "Your committee reports that it understands that jurisdiction in the pipe fitting industry is vested in the United Association of Plumbers and Steam Fitters of the United States and Canada, and that this organization should control the work in this industry. However, involved in this resolution are technical questions, the settlement of which requires investigationtherefore, your committee, while recognizing that jurisdiction over pipe fitting industry belongs to the United Association of Plumbers and Steam Fitters of the United States and Canada, recommends that this resolution be referred to the Executive Council, with instructions to arrange a conference among all the organizations in interest, for the purpose of formulating an agreement for the purpose of defining the technical questions involved. Should this conference fail to reach an agreement, your committee recommends that the Executive Council be instructed to render a decision upon the matters in dispute, based upon the jurisdiction of the various organizations as defined by the American Federation of Labor." The report of the committee was adopted, President Alpine speaking in support of the committee's report. The technical questions referred to in the Committee's report simply mean that the Machinists' representative interjected into this subject matters that were of a technical nature, but the committee declared in its report that the United Association was the only recognized authority in the pipe fitting industry, and there is no question as to what the finding will be of an impartial body of men with regard to the encroachments of the machinists or other trades upon our jurisdiction. We had jurisdictional disputes with other trades, namely, the Sheet Metal Workers, who are encroaching upon our work in the railroad shops. Arrangements have been made whereby the Sheet Metal Workers will make joint investigation through representatives of their and our association, and they have agreed that in such instances where men are in their organization who properly belong in 'ours, such men shall be surrendered. Another dispute was with the Elevator Constructors and a conference was arranged at New York on January 3rd between representatives of the Elevator Constructors and the United Association. It is believed amicable adjustment will be ar rived at. One more jurisdictional dispute, which was referred to the Building Trades Convention, was the contention between the International Bridge & Structural Iron Workers and the United Association over pipe fitting as it refers to railings, etc., the matter being brought to a climax because of a dispute at St. Louis, Mo. The Building Trades Convention directed that a conference should be held between President Alpine and President Ryan of the Structural Iron Workers. President Alpine agreed to this conference with the understanding, as recorded in the convention proceedings, that while agreeing to confer, he was not agreeing to arbitrate his right and the right of his members to perform any and all description of pipe fitting. These last two subjects were referred to the Building Trades Convention and since a report upon the proceedings of that convention will undoubtedly be submitted in another form, it is not the intention of your delegates to the A. F. of L. Convention to make further reference. This report is simply intended to convey a condensed idea of matters of interest to our associates, and is respectfully submitted by your delegates. |